I'll Love You Whenever
by Spunky Kitten
Summary: I didn't fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we're only fated to do the things we'd choose anyway. And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality. I'd find you and I'd choose you. (Various AU Oneshots)
1. Thief Chat Noir

**I recently started watching Miraculous Ladybug. *pauses for effect* AND I SHIP IT SO HARD! I'm not the biggest Ladrien shipper, but I'm a HUGE supporter of the others. I mean, at the end of the day, all the shippers in the Love Square are Adrienette shippers, right? Think about it. Anyway, I ship it so hard and so fiercely that I decided to do a one-shot compilation for them.**

 **I'll put this up on my AO3 account as well. One-shots don't take up as much focus as full stories do.**

 **I rated this M for sexual themes that appear time to time. Nothing graphic though. But just to be safe.**

 **ENJOY ~nya!**

* * *

Stealing a Thief's Heart

Chat Noir was known throughout Paris as a relentless, notorious thief that couldn't care less about human life. And it was somewhat true. Adrien Agreste's heart grew cold and bitter under the prison-like circumstances his father put him in, never allowed to leave the house without a bodyguard and never allowed to live a normal life. So he turned to crime as a way to finally be free. He still had his own morals of course. Chat Noir never took a life, good or bad. He never really enjoyed watching others suffer. He just stopped caring about hurting others. He felt…empty.

But that all changed the day he met _her_. Her hair was black as night, turning a navy blue until the glow of the moon like fresh ink. Her gorgeous bluebell eyes held nothing but unwavering honesty and kindness. She was much too pure to deceive anyone. Her determination was stronger than steel and her loyalty was unparalleled. And Chat Noir found himself falling fast and hard for the daughter of a baker. What he didn't know at the time was just how fast she fell for him too.

The fateful night is engraved into his memory. He was making his grand escape from his recent robbery when suddenly he was shot in the leg by a cop. It didn't hit any important arteries or go straight through him, but the graze caused a significant blood loss. Mustering up enough strength for on final leap, he miraculously got off their trail. Unfortunately, he crash landed onto a balcony when a young woman was watering her flowers. She gasped at the sight of a notorious criminal suddenly landed five feet away from her, dropping her watering can and backing up slowly.

"Please," Chat whimpered, his leg burning from the injury, "help me." His voice was shaky and desperate, causing the young lady to immediately stop shaking and stare at him. He could see the gears in her head turning until her eyes steeled with resolution.

"I'll be right back," she said and scurried down her trap door. Not long after, she returned with a large first aid kid and got to work. She encouraged him to hold on tightly to the blanket her provided him as he hissed in pain from the rubbing alcohol being applied to his wound. From her pink lips spilled comforting words as the pain slowly numbed and she wrapped the gauze around him injury.

He stopped groaning in pain and slowly opened his green eyes he had forgotten were screwed tightly closed when the treatment started. He was never a sucker for romance, but when he looked up at her at she stared back at him, he swore his heart was already in her hands. He bluebell eyes glittered under the full moon that glowed high above her balcony, lighting up her soft facial features. He noticed what an adorable nose she had. Her ink colored hair was tied into cute pigtails by red ribbons, probably to keep her hair out of her face as she slept. They suited her nicely.

The young woman cleared her throat and looked away, flushing in embarrassment just as he realized how long they'd been staring at each other. "Y-you should put some i-ice on it w-whenever you get the chance," she stuttered, and Chat Noir's heart soared from her voice.

"I'm forever in your debt, princess~" the thief purred as he gave a bow, the pain in his leg nothing compared to his heart slamming against his ribcage. _Play it cool Agreste_ , he reminded himself. _You are smooth._

The girl giggled in amusement and raised a delicate eyebrow. "I assure you, I'm no princess."

" _Au contraire mon cher_ ," Chat retorted. "You were so kind to help a lowly creature that fell onto your tower without need or reason. Such kindness is only found in a princess, no? Would you prefer I call you something different?"

He took pride in the blush that rose up her neck and to her cheeks as he blatantly flirted with her. "M-Marinette," she answered, looking away, "That's my name."

 _Marinette_ , he thought dreamily, staring at her as she avoided his gaze out of shyness from his flirting.

"Perhaps I will see you again, princess." Chat stood on her balcony railing, ready to leap off into the night.

"Maybe without more injuries, _chaton_ ," Marinette responded with a tiny smile, her blush slowly going down.

His only response was a wink as he set off into the night, returning to his secret base of operations. Outside, he looked cool and collected. On the inside, he was doing a happy dance and cheering himself on. From what her words suggested, she wanted to see him again! He didn't think it was possible. But it happened! He was soaring through heaven. If this was a dream, he didn't want anyone to wake him up!

That single night miraculously led to the present. He and Marinette were lying in her bed, the silence of her tiny apartment calming as long as she was there with him. The only sound came from their heavy breathing as they steadily came down from their highs, limbs tangled in a mess as Marinette lay flush next to him. Her hair, now loose and cascading, tickled his bare chest as she listening to his pounding heartbeat, beating to a rhythm only she could create in him.

He could feel the heat of her bare skin against his. His claws gently ran through her hair with a loving touch. He always kept his gloves, mask, and ears on, even when making love to her. Chat was honestly afraid; afraid of what she may think of the man under the mask. What would she think if she discovered the famous model named Paris's Golden Child during the day was wearing a mask and causing crime at night? Would she be revolted, too shocked to even look at him again? Would she become like everyone else and try taking advantage of his fame?

A nuzzle from Marinette brought him out of his stupor. She lazily drew shapes on his chest, whispering "I love you" every so often. Chat pulled her closer, tenderly grazing her back with his claws. His thoughts dispersed immediately. Marinette wasn't the kind of girl who would ever use someone. She was kind and warm, seeing the best in everyone and sacrificing her own needs for someone else's. He had first-hand experience of that. She risked her own safety to be with him. She gave him her heart, trusting him to protect it. And he would protect it with everything he had. He loved her dearly and didn't want everything they had to just disappear.

For now, he was content like this. He was with someone who loved his true self, who looked past all his actions and spent multiple nights just talking, joking, and playing games with him. Chat loved drinking homemade hot cocoa while stargazing with her. He loved curling up in her lap as they watched a random movie playing on her computer. He loved watching her work, sketching new designs for upcoming projects and bringing them to life. He loved the feather light kisses she would plant on his cheek which led to more passionate ones as they got lost in one other. He loved moments like now, melding their bodies together as he professed his love in both words and actions. Most of all, he loved being a lovesick fool for Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

* * *

 **I'm kinda shocked myself that I just wrote that. Well, my month-long winter break—it's college, so since we get no holidays, winter break is long—starts next Saturday, so once finals are done, I'll hopefully have more time to work on my next chapters. I already have the ideas written down and a couple paragraphs done for the next 4 chapters as we speak—I mean, as I write. And since I'm nice, I'll let you in on what the themes are.**

 **Chapter 2: Reverse Crush  
** **Chapter 3: Mermaid Marinette and Pirate Adrien  
** **Chapter 4: Cinderella (with my own twist based one a little comic I saw)  
** **Chapter 5: Egyptian**

 **If you have any other ideas or prompts you'd like me to consider, I'll gladly take a look at them and place them in I can do them. Until next time!**


	2. Reverse Crush

**Another one-shot coming at you!**

 **For this one, I had the thought, "What if Adrien was in love with Marinette but Marinette was in love with Chat Noir?" You know, pull the old switcheroo of crushes on them? I made sure never to read any other fanfics for this prompt so I could go off my own imagination until this was finished.**

 **So this is what came out of that thought. Enjoy ~nya!**

* * *

Loving a Black Cat

"I'm sorry I misjudged you," Marinette said, taking the umbrella from Adrien's hand, thunder resounding in the sky afterwards. Their fingers brushed and Adrien let out an inaudible gasp that luckily Marinette didn't hear. His green eyes widened as he looked upon her in a brand new light. "I shouldn't have made assumptions. So I hope we can start over." She sent him a kind, dazzling smile that made his heart leap into his throat.

"Yeah!" Adrien said a little too loudly. "Th-that would be great!" He wanted to stay there but unfortunately the car honking behind him indicated that he had places to be.

"Sounds like you're needed," Marinette said with a giggle. "See you tomorrow." She held onto the umbrella tightly and walked down the school steps, waving goodbye with a smile.

"Y-yeah! See you tomorrow!" Adrien called to her, embarrassed at his stuttering.

As the days went by, Adrien Agreste only found himself more and more smitten with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her kindness was what drew him in. Her beautiful light made him stay. He could go on for years about how wonderful she was. She was loyal and determined, selfless and encouraging, and so much more. She held fast to her beliefs and made everyone around her smile when they felt down. Her looks were a bonus. Her lovely ink colored hair was held up in those adorable pigtails and her gorgeous bluebell eyes caused him to grow flustered whenever they locked onto him.

"Oh dude," Nino, who sat next to him, muttered, "You got it bad." But Adrien wasn't listening. He stared at the Marinette who had just entered the classroom, laughing about something with her friend Alya.

"Isn't she perfect?" the blonde whispered more to himself than to Nino, completely love struck. When Marinette turned and waved at him and Nino, Adrien gave a shy wave back.

His best friend rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard it before. She's an angel sent from above; a girl too good and pure for this vicious world. Cupid's arrow has nothing on how much love is already in my heart for her. Need I go on?" Luckily, he shut himself up as he saw the girls approach.

"Morning Nino, Adrien," Marinette greeted as she took her seat behind him.

"M-morning Marinette," the young model shyly greeted back. He was both overjoyed and stressed about their seating; overjoyed because the girl he liked was so close and he was in her line of sight all day, but stressed because he had no way to glance at her without it being totally obvious and he had to try so hard not to look like a dork in front of her.

It was almost hard to focus on the lesson. Behind him, he could hear scribbling and scratching, something much to fast paced to be her taking lecture notes. Perhaps she was working on a new design? Seeing such a talent and drive in her only made him more in love. She went beyond limits and dreamed big, reaching for her goals with outstretched hands. It was amazing to watch—well, as well as he could watch from behind anything 20 feet away that kept him from looking like a stalker.

"Okay class," Ms. Bustier announced, "that wraps up today's lesson, so be sure to do the worksheets by next week."

Everyone excitedly stuffed their things into their bags and shuffled out of the classroom to go out for their lunch break. Luckily, Chloe was more excited about heading out to get this new handbag she said was only available for a short time today, so Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. As he stood up, he froze in place as Marinette passed him up. It hurt his heart to see the dejected look on her face. Whatever she was thinking, it wasn't nice thoughts. She sighed and tossed a ball of paper into the trash can before heading out the door where Alya was waiting for her.

"Hey bro, wanna grab some grub at that new café down the road?" Nino asked, placing his arm on his best bud's shoulder.

"Sorry, I can't," Adrien lied, "I have to go to a quick photoshoot my dad planned for a new winter line. But I'll have enough time to meet up with you afterwards for a snack. So you go on without me." Luckily, Nino didn't put up much of a fight, sending him a sympathetic look as he packed up and headed out.

Once Nino had left the room and Adrien counted to 10 in his head, the model made a dash for the trash can. He quickly peered inside and made a grab for the balled up piece of paper Marinette had thrown away. Looking around again to make sure no one saw him rummaging through the garbage, he opened and smoothed out the paper before letting out a gasp. If the little hearts drawn on the border was any indication, it was a love letter.

 _Hair like golden sunlight  
_ _Eyes a gorgeous green hue  
_ _We live in a sea of people  
_ _But I only want you  
_ _I'll stay be your side forever  
_ _My love pure and true  
_ _Your presence is my paradise  
_ _And I hope you'll love me too_

"Wow…" Adrien was at a complete loss for words. He could feel the heart and soul put into this. There were scratched out sections and eraser marks made from her rethinking her words, but what came out was breathtaking. As he processed every word, he slowly came to the conclusion of who it was meant for. No one else he was aware Marinette knows has blond hair and green eyes. It had to be about him!

"What's that kiddo?" Plagg, peeking out of his schoolbag, asked.

"Don't you see Plagg?!" the model asked like it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Marinette wrote a poem for me!"

Plagg gave him an obvious skeptical look. "If she wrote it for you, why did she throw it out?"

"She could've been embarrassed," Adrien tried to reason, stuffing the poem into his bag before leaving to head home for his lunch. He even had a little skip in his step, a cheek-splitting grin on his face for the whole ride. Marinette liked him back! She thought he was amazing! Wait a minute… Adrien stopped in his tracks just in front of his house's gates, causing the kwami flying after him to bump into his back with an "ouch." "Marinette likes me!"

"I thought we already established this," Plagg muttered, rubbing his nose.

"The only reason I know is because of a poem she threw away. What will she think if she finds out? I can't just go up to her and say, 'Hey, I dug the love letter you threw in the trash and I know you're talking about me, and I really like you so let's go out sometime.' How would I even ask her out? She's just so pretty and sweet, I've gotten tongue-tied whenever I do try to talk about romance with her!"

"Then don't _say_ anything," Plagg suggested.

"That's it!" The blonde jumped in revelation. "I'll write a love letter too!"

When Adrien got inside the house and to the dining hall where his meal was prepared, he practically scarfed down his lunch whenever Nathalie wasn't looking. Afterwards, he rushed up to his room and plopped himself in his computer chair. He grabbed a sheet of paper and a red pen, ready to get to work. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. He tapped his pen on his desk, contemplating his word choice. He needed it to be perfect. The young model then looked over at the poem Marinette wrote and sighed, wishing he could just tell her his response in person. His eyes suddenly widened.

"I'm a genius!" And with that thought, Adrien's hand flowed with the pen, writing down words that came straight from the heart. He would respond to her poem to the best of his abilities. A blush stained his cheeks as the thought about Marinette; Marinette and the secret love she seemed to hold for him. He was on cloud nine just thinking about it. He wanted to desperately make Marinette feel like the most wonderful girl in the world, even though she already was in his eyes.

The time between when lunch ended and school finished went by in a flash. When school had been let out, Marinette walked to her locker, talking animatedly with Alya over a new design the former was working on for the latter to wear. When the pigtailed girl reached her locker and opened it, a confused expression took over. She reached inside and pull out a piece of folded up paper that had been taped to one of her books so she would see it. Her name was in elegant writing, like something out of a fancy novel.

"What's this?" Marinette asked herself, thoroughly confused. From the fancy lettering, it was either an invitation or a love letter. As the two walked out of the school, Marinette had to stop and ask the question rolling around in her head. "Did you give me this?" she asked Alya, considering she was the only other person who knew her locker combination.

Once the redhead saw what her bestie was holding, she nearly dropped her phone in surprise. "Girl! Is that a love letter?!" Alya gripped Marinette's shoulders and shook her in excitement. "Open it! Open it now!"

"Alright! Alright!" Marinette desperately answered, hoping to sate Alya's demands so she could at least free her arms. When her best friend let go, the young designer opened up the folded paper. Her blue eyes went wide at the letters written down. Sensing her friend's intense gaze, she knew she wanted her to read it out loud. So, she did.

 _Your hair is dark as night  
_ _Your eyes such a lovely blue  
_ _Every day, you make my heart race  
_ _Because I only see you too  
_ _Yes, your loved one I will be  
_ _I'll make sure your days are bright  
_ _With you by my side, I'm always at peace  
_ _Because you're my beautiful light_

"Oh my god," Marinette breathed as she finished, the weight of the words crashing down on her. Her bluebell eyes were wide in shock and her lips were slightly parted.

"Wow!" Alya exclaimed. "That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard! Whoever wrote this is destined for you."

"It's a response…" the pigtailed girl trailed off, rereading the letter. "But I threw the poem away." Upon closer inspection, she noticed something was off. "There isn't a signature…"

"What?!" the reporter shouted. "Well, that sucks. Now we may never know."

"Maybe…" A purring sound snapped Marinette out of her daze. A black cat came out of nowhere and began nuzzling her leg. "Could it be…?" Feeling overjoyed at the possibility, Marinette hugged the letter to her chest and mumbled, "Silly kitty." A blush stained her cheeks as she thought about the one she had a crush on potentially being the one who wrote the poem.

How could she not fall in love with Chat Noir? He was everything she ever dreamed of. Granted, he made far too many puns and liked to show off, but Marinette knew it was all part of his sense of humor. She also realized the freedoms that came with the mask, so she figured he was acting a little freer than what he was used to. He knew how to be serious when the time called for it. And when it came to his emotions, she had no doubt he would be serious about them. He encouraged her with genuine words when everyone else just felt the rush of a hero protecting them. He was with her every step of the way, fighting alongside her and putting his very life in a clumsy girl's hands. He forgives her for her mistakes, despite everyone seeing Ladybug as someone who could do no wrong and would probably get upset if she did.

Marinette practically skipped home and put the love letter in a frame. She moved some things around and put the frame on her wall, surrounded by her Chat Noir photos and posters. Tikki was practically celebrating her chosen's happiness while munching on a cookie and her owner couldn't help but giggle at Tikki's shared happiness. Marinette then sat down in her chair and sighed dreamily at the letter, hoping one day to tell him of her feelings.

Meanwhile, Adrien was having a mini panic attack at home, trying to remember one crucial detail. "Did I even sign it?!"

"Beats me," Plagg responded, scarfing down another bite of Camembert cheese. "I realized to stay out of your sappy love life."

"Ugh! This is your fault!" Adrien distinctively remembered being distracted by Plagg and his insatiable love for cheese that he stepped away from his letter to get him some, followed by Nathalie stopping him to remind him that school would be starting back up again soon. He panicked and grabbed some cheese, rushed back to his room, stuffed the letter and Plagg in his bag, and hurried back to school so he could have just enough time to get the letter in Marinette's locker before she saw him.

"Me?!" Plagg complained.

The blonde, giving a huff of frustration, faceplanted onto his bed in misery. "This sucks," his muffled voice groaned. He just wanted to tell Marinette how he felt about her. Maybe one day he'll get the chance to finally state his true intentions behind all the subtle flirting that seemed to fail him.

But Adrien Agreste would never stop loving Marinette Dupain-Cheng. His poem spoke the truth. She was the only one he ever wanted.

* * *

 **TADA! Chapter 2 is complete! And before you say anything, let me explain.**

 **I used the Valentine's Day as INSPIRATION. I remixed the poems they wrote for one another and added my own little poetic spirit in. I'm taking poetry class because I have to; don't judge me. Second, this isn't set on Valentine's Day, so that's why there was no akuma attack. Third, and I think you'll love this, let me know if you want a Part 2 to this after I do some of the other chapters I've been working on. I might just do that if you want me to that badly.**

 **I'm also doing this when I should be studying for finals, but…this took up a majority of my attention. So…yeah.**

 **Next up, is my mermaid AU, so prepare your butts! Until next time!**


	3. The Great Kwami Swap

**I decided to move the Mermaid AU out of the way because I liked this prompt out of my entire list a little more. Plus, I finished it faster. It's funny how you gain a lot of inspiration the more recently you join a fandom versus having said fandom flush out your motivation for others. Because that is what Miraculous Ladybug has done to me!**

 **But enough of my rants! Here is the chapter that I decided to put in front of the others I was working on because someone so graciously brought it to my attention. And you get bonus points for the puns. So, thank you** **A Simple Dragon** **for that review!**

 **This one is dedicated to the AU I'm sure a lot of you know oh so well. "What if Adrien became Ladybug and Marinette became Chat Noir?" Bear in mind, their crushes will be in reverse as well…in a way. Marinette will love Ladybug—weirdest 5 words I've written to date—because she's Chat Noir. Adrien will love Marinette, of course. If I like writing this by the end, I might do another where the crushes aren't reversed.**

 **On with the meow-velous show! Hey, I found a new catchphrase! …Nah. Enjoy ~nya!**

* * *

Chat with Bluebell Eyes

Marinette slammed a pillow over her head, ignoring the insistent whines of her kwami, Plagg. She just wanted a few more minutes of sleep. But _no_ , her little glutton of a kwami just loved his cheese so much, he had to wake her up early on a weekend to get it. She didn't have any camembert—have you seen the price of that smelly dairy—so Plagg often settled for the abundance of brie in the bakery.

"It's too early," Marinette groaned, lifting her hand slightly to give Plagg a shooing motion. "You know where it is. And you can phase through walls."

"It's actually 9am, kiddo," Plagg argued, causing Marinette to jolt upward, holding her pillow to her chest.

"What?!" Her bluebell eyes frantically looked to her alarm clock. Plagg was right. It was right there, plain as day. "Oh no! I need to meet Alya at 10 today!" Marinette quickly rushed to the bathroom after giving Plagg a piece of cheddar to munch on. At least she could focus without him talking. She did her hair up in pigtails after combing them thoroughly, sprayed on her deodorant, and dressed into the clothes she set in her bathroom the night before. With 15 minutes left until her meeting, she scrambled out and grabbed her purse, putting so extra cheese in it just in case. "Come on!" she yelled, pulling Plagg along and putting him into her purse.

* * *

Adrien had woken up bright and early so he could have more time with his friends before his busy schedule took over. He smiled at his kwami, who was snoozing away on her own little pillow at his desk. He quietly got ready for the day, dressing in his usual clothes and humming.

"Someone sounds happy," a voice behind him commented.

"I am, Tikki," Adrien responded, perfecting his hair in the mirror.

"Oh, I know what that means." The little red kwami giggled and sat on Adrien's shoulder. "You're seeing Marinette today, right?" That question alone caused Adrien's cheeks to turn pink.

"Y-yeah…"

He wouldn't deny how huge of a crush he had on his pigtailed classmate, ever since that day in the rain when he handed her his umbrella. But he also got really nervous around her, the ladybugs in his stomach taking over, to the point he could barely speak to her without averting his eyes. Inwardly, he laughed at his own pun. Secretly being Ladybug allowed him to have the time of his life. He could be more confident and witty, say what he wanted to say and do what he wanted to do. If only that confidence could flow into Adrien Agreste when he spoke to the secret love of his life.

"I'm sure you'll do great Adrien," Tikki encouraged him. "Just believe in yourself. It'll all work out."

"Thank you Tikki." Adrien patted her head. "I'm just worried about the scene." In the scene Alya and Nino wanted to film as the basis of their presentation, Adrien would have to kiss Marinette, even if it was a peck on the cheek. He always wanted to kiss her, but he hoped it would be a more romantic setting. The two of them would be alone, gazing out at the Seine. She would laugh at his corny jokes, and while she was distracted, he would dip down to her level and… "Gah!" the model suddenly shouted. He had to stop those thoughts because he didn't have the time for a cold shower. Adrien let Tikki tuck himself inside his white overshirt and pumped himself up to face the day and one beautiful girl.

* * *

After kissing her parents goodbye, Marinette hurried over to the park and to the spot Alya said to meet her at. There, she collapsed on a bench and checked her phone, trying to catch her breath. There was 10 minutes to spare. The blunette let out a sigh of relief as she straightened herself up and waited for her best friend. While waiting, she eventually went into her daydreams while staring at the statue made in Ladybug and Chat Noir's honor.

 _Ladybug_ , she swooned in her head. He was so dreamy and cool. And she got to secretly see him every day as Chat Noir. It was kind of ironic how receiving a miraculous representing misfortune who give her so much good luck.

Plagg peeked out of Marinette's purse, seeing her making googly eyes at the statue, and rolled his eyes. "Here were go again," the kwami muttered, which his chosen ignored.

She was still off in dreamland, so sound was irrelevant to her. She imagined Ladybug soaring across the sky with his yoyo. He must have so kind of muscle under that red and black suit from all the parkour acrobatics they do on a daily basis. Okay, so her crush went beyond subtle. Plagg liked to tease her about the multiple Ladybug posters she had plastered all over her room. He even liked to gag whenever her screensaver of a collage of Ladybug photos came into view. But she couldn't help how she felt. Ever since Stoneheart, her heart belonged to Ladybug and Ladybug alone. He was brave and smart. He was quick on his feet, always having a plan in which they worked together to achieve. He was kind to no fault, believing in her when she felt completely overshadowed by his spectacular presence. He told her he couldn't do what he did without her; they were a team after all. His gorgeousness was simply the cherry on top.

"–inette. Marinette… MARINETTE!" The girl in question yelped in surprise, launching a good couple inches into the air. She turned around to see Alya holding in her laughter. "About time you heard me girl! You were in lala land again." The redhead leaned in with a smirk and whispered, "Probably thinking about your lovebug~"

Yes, Alya knew about Marinette's insane crush. Marinette trusted her best friend with everything, even the secret about being in love with a possibly unreachable icon. Of course, he was just a little less out of reach since the whole Chat Noir deal, but Alya didn't know that. She was a little sympathetic about it, considering the circumstances she was aware of, but ultimately let Marinette's crush be.

"As I was saying, I brought the guys, so we could do more proper filming." She pointed to Nino and Adrien, who were just entering the park.

"Hey guys," Marinette greeted with a gently smile and a wave.

"Sup!" Nino cheerfully greeted back.

"Hi Marinette," Adrien shyly responded with timid smile. Marinette never could understand why he was so shy around her. Did she do something wrong? She apologized for the misunderstanding about the gum. Maybe he was still a little weary of her?

While Nino and Alya were setting up the scene for the group project they were filming, Marinette and Adrien had a chance to talk while sitting on a bench under a tree. A few minutes went by, the blunette unaware on the intense green gaze focused solely on her. "So how are you doing?" the designer asked. "Nino told me you had a lot of photoshoots yesterday, so it was a miracle you could come."

"O-oh yeah!" Adrien hurriedly said, as if he'd been caught. "My dad had some…last minute designs come in and…he, uh, wanted me to model for the latest issue."

"I can't wait to see it then."

"W-well, I'm sure it's n-not that good," the blonde model stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck out of his usual shyness. "I mean, you deal with fashion every day, so I'm sure you don't need to look at pages of silly old me."

The young designer giggled softly and ruffled Adrien's soft blonde locks. "Nonsense! I'm sure you looked amazing in those designs."

She thought she felt Adrien jolt as he stared at her, his vibrant emerald eyes so wide they could've popped out of his head. "You're amazing," he whispered, but proceeded to go into flustered mode when he processed what he said. "I mean, your designs are way more amazing. Trust me! You're totally awesome when it comes to this stuff."

Before Marinette could respond, a high-pitched scream in the distance made them jump. They had to excuse themselves to find a hiding spot, so they could transform. Marinette ducked behind a tree and Adrien leaped into the bushes.

"Plagg, claws out!" Marinette cried. Plagg was sucked into her ring as she transformed into Chat Noir. Her cat-like eyes became bluer, like crystal clear water. She always undid her pigtails and let her hair fall, just to add a little extra so no one could identify her. "Up we go." Chat Noir pulled out her baton and pressed the blue pawprint to extend it, leaping up onto the tall buildings to find the source of the scream.

Meanwhile, Adrien was a complete mess in the bushes. His face was cherry red and he ran a hand through his hair, right where Marinette had touched a few minutes before. "She's incredible…"

"Adrien!" Tikki flew out from inside his shirt and in front of his face. "No time for daydreaming. We need to capture the akuma."

That shook Adrien out of his daze. "Right, right! Tikki, spots on!"

He pulled his hair back and let Tikki be absorbed into his earrings, transforming him into the mighty Ladybug. He honestly had no idea how no one figured out his identity yet. It was basically like slapping a mask onto his face and that's that. He liked to think Tikki altered people's perception of him or his attitude change threw others off. With a confident nod, he threw his yoyo and travelled towards wherever the scream came from. Ladybug landed on a roof to survey the area, but not a second later heard a thud next to him.

"About time you showed up kitty cat," Ladybug commented, looked at his partner from the corner of his eye. "I was wondering when you would _cat_ ch up."

Even though she inwardly thought it was a horrible joke, Chat giggled. "W-well, you know me, Bugaboo, I-I mean Ladybug! Hehe." Chat Noir blushed under her mask.

"Alright, let's go find that akuma!" With those words, Ladybug yoyoed away in the direction of the Eiffel Tower—because akumatized victims always seemed to go there—and Chat let out a dreamy sigh before pole-vaulting after him.

* * *

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir shouted and launched herself at Fashionista, the newest akuma villain, who had the ability to manipulate clothes and turn people into mannequins.

Her destructive power destroyed the bars of the cage the two heroes had been put in. Ladybug handed her one end of the measuring tape, the Lucky Charm item he'd conjured up, and instructed her on where to go. Chat nodded in understanding and launched herself across building, doing circles around Fashionista without her noticing. The villain tried to send her mannequin army after her, but her cat-like reflexes proved to be superior. The leather clad hero then jumped down and tied the tape to a lamppost, giving her partner a thumbs-up. Ladybug pulled on the measuring tape hard and it tightened around Fashionista's feet, tripping her and causing the sketchbook she was holding to fly out of her hand. Ladybug caught it and tore it in half, releasing the akuma.

"Time to de-evilize!" the spotted superhero shouted, throwing his yoyo and capturing the akuma, releasing it once it was purified. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." Chat untied the measuring tape from the pole, allowing Ladybug to throw it into the air with a "Miraculous Ladybug!"

"Pound it!" the heroes said in routine unison.

"H-hey, Ladybug…I was h-hoping that…we could, uh…"

But Chat didn't get to finish. The beeping from Ladybug's earrings and Chat's ring caused them to jolt. "Well, gotta _bug_ out!"

Chat simply smiled her awkward little smile. "Yeah, see you today. I mean sooner! Next time! See you…next time." She facepalmed in embarrassment before jumping away after Ladybug took off, back to the place she transformed so her friends could find her more easily.

"Ugh!" Marinette groaned, coming out from the place she hid after transforming back. She hoped Nino, Alya, and Adrien were okay. "I'm a total mess. Ladybug's gonna think I'm a loser."

Plagg was snickering from within her purse. "That was hilarious!"

His chosen just grumbled in response. "Just eat your cheese."

* * *

 **For reference sake, if any of you have seen the genderbend Marin in his Ladybug suit, that's the suit Adrien wears as Ladybug.**

 **Writing this helped me see how great the kwamis are for their respective holders. Tikki offers Marinette that confidence boost she always needs, offering wisdom and encouragement at just the right times. Plagg is there to help Adrien be a little less high-strung and displays the kind of relaxed attitude Adrien needs in his life. But it was fun to write about the possibility of having a different kwami. Tikki would still be encouraging to her chosen, offering advice and stuff. Plagg would still be the cheeky little cheese king he is. I feel like he'd tone it down a notch because of Marinette's disposition, and an unhappy Marinette never helped anyone.**

 **I also did my best to keep their attitudes towards their crushes the same. As Chat Noir, Adrien would flirt. But when facing Ladybug as** _ **Adrien**_ **, he would become shy. Of course, at least he can get a full sentence out. Marinette is a stuttering mess around Adrien, whether as herself or as Ladybug. I wanted their personalities to remain.**

 **Again, thank you for suggesting this and striking me with inspiration** **A Simple Dragon** **. It was a blast!**


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